New Hampshire hospital evacuates emergency and operating rooms due to mysterious odor

ABC News(EXETER, N.H.) — A hospital in Exeter, New Hampshire, was partially evacuated Friday following detection of an unknown odor and complaints of nausea, officials said.

An unknown odor was detected at Exeter Hospital around 11:15 a.m. ET. The odor sickened 17 staff members in the operating room, who complained of nausea and dizziness. Fire crews were dispatched, and both the operating room and emergency room areas were evacuated and closed, according to a hospital spokesperson.

The rest of the hospital is safe, the spokesperson said.

The operating room staff members were medically evaluated and some were went to nearby hospitals. But everyone is doing well, the spokesperson said.

Six patients were removed from the emergency room as a precaution, the spokesperson added.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the odor.

The Exeter Police Department urged residents and local fire departments via Twitter to not bring new patients to Exeter Hospital due to the evacuation.